Focusing your Education Section

Education sections are a little weird. It is one of the three things that every resume should have. However, there are a number of ways to do it and it depends on the individual.

Organize your Education section in reverse chronological order, just as you would organize the rest of the resume. Put your most recent degree first. Generally speaking, you can remove degrees if you have a higher one in the same field. Have an Associate's and Bachelor's in Electronics? Get rid of the Associate's. If they are in different fields, then there may be a reason to list both. Have a degree in Communications and Computer Science? You may be the perfect person for the new social media program at the tech firm. Get rid of your HS degree once you have started college. The exception is if you have something really unique or special in your high schooling that you think might help you. Being an exchange student, going to a very elite school, or participating in an elite program or event.

Lead with the degree name. Hirers will be scanning for degrees, not schools. Because we are focused on degrees, not schools, you only need to list the graduation date, not your attendance dates (A student who attended school part-time for a decade and moved several times might have ten or more schools listed, but one degree).

This is a good basic format for most people:

Degree — University <r.tab>(anticipated) award date

List your major with the degree. "Bachelor's of Computer Science" or "Masters of Law". Generally speaking, hirers don't care if it's a BS or BA...

Examples:

High School Diploma — Better Place High School June 2000

Bachelor's of English Literature — University of State 2018

* Minor: Underwater Basket-weaving

* Six times Dean's list recipient.

* Graduated Magna Cum Laude

Master's of Accounting — University of State antip. 2025

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But what if you want more? Education sections can take a lot of bulking up. One note though: Even more than the rest of the resume, education bullets MUST be relevant. If they aren't, just get rid of them. It's perfectly fine to have no bullets (especially if you've been out of school for a while).

Things that make good bullets for degrees:

• Minor or fields of study (especially if related to the job).
• Honors (Dean's list, graduated Cum Laude, having a prestigious scholarship...)
• Extracurriculars (especially if relevant)
• Awards (Robotics Team district champion 2020, First Oboe - Jazz Orchestra (State champions 2020))
• Foreign study (you'd be astounded how impressed (especially in America) people are about living overseas).

Things that don't make for good bullets:

• GPA. People honestly don't care once you graduate. This goes especially for sub-GPAs like a Major GPA. More, it's redundant if you have your honors listed.
• Credits taken. Nobody is going to say "I'm sorry, we can't hire you. We require a minimum of 50 credits taken toward a degree..."
• Coursework. While there is a rare exception for certain internships with high-level courses (usually graduate-level), "This guy took English 304 - Shakespeare and Chaucer? HIRE HIM RIGHT AWAY!" said no one ever.
• Non-relevant extracurriculars. "Hey, you were on the track team. That's great. Why are you applying for this job programming?"
• Fraternity/Sorority. I know you've all heard the story about the guy who got the job because the hiring manager was in the same fraternity. It's a lie. Between beating the rep of Greek life, and the potential to run into rivals, this is a losing point. Don't list.

What if you didn't complete your degree? That's a tricky one. There are two paths you can take:

1. Pretend you are still going to school. Plans change, employers understand that. If you recently stopped, you can still say your "anticipated" grad date is coming up.
2. If it's been longer, then you have to face up to it. List your university and any relevant coursework.

Bachelor's of Accounting - University of State <r.tab>Antp. award date

University of State

* Completed coursework: Calculus, Accounting for Nonprofits, Finance 101 & 102, Photography 203

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Certificates:

Certificates are kind of like mini-degrees. They usually involve taking classes and meeting certain standards. They should be treated much like degrees. However, they should be included *after* your degrees (even if you got them after graduating), and only if relevant. Being Java Certified is great, but not really important for a job in food service or sales.

Like a degree, you want to list the Certification first, the issuing agency, and award date. If the cert expires, include that as a bullet. (Some companies like to know they don't have to send you for training for another year or two).

Certificate — Certification Agency (Cert #) <r.tab>(anticipated) award date

• Expiration date (if any)

Caveat: Many online courses like EdX or Udemy offer a "Certificate of Completion". THIS IS NOT A CERTIFICATION. Put classes like this in your Continuing Education section.

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Licenses:

More than certificates, licenses tend to be extremely industry-oriented. Either you are a Licensed Electrician or not. Don't include a normal driver's license.

License (class, if relevant) — Licensing Body (Lic #) <r.tab>(anticipated) award date

• Expiration date (if any)

A couple of licenses need a little more unpacking:

• Trades: Things like plumbing, electricians, mechanics, and so on, frequently have their own licenses required by the state and/or industry. List them when applying for jobs in that area. It's really tough to get a job as a plumber without having a license first.
• Nursing: Not only should you list your RN license, but any relevant licenses or certifications under it. ACLS, Phlebotomy, CPR, etc.
• Piloting: In addition to your license, it usually is a good idea to list your flight time.
• Driver: Generally, don't put this on, unless they are specifically asking for it. Professional drivers (limo drivers, taxi drivers, etc) can, but they'll generally want a copy when they hire you.
• Trucker: DO list your CDL and state(s).

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Continuing Education/Professional Development:

Not generally recommended, but a good continuing education section can help show career-changers and people who have been out of work for a while (hint, hint... pandemic), have been working on expanding and keeping their skills sharp. This should be used ONLY for classes taken after you have left the academic system. Taken a one-off class in marketing? Put it here. Took Marketing 102 in college? Leave it off.

The format is pretty loose. Put the class and place (if you took a Udemy class, list Udemy). Trim this back, keeping only relevant courses. Taking a class in Pottery is great, but doesn't matter to most hirers.

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School Projects

Generally speaking, these work better in a separate "Projects" section. However, for some smaller projects or not quite related ones, a simple line or two (use the STAR Method) is fine. Remove these if not related.

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The education section should be minimal for most resumes but can be expanded to include relevant experience. Go forth and be smart.